Method of advertising and apparatus for use in connection therewith



Dec. 6, 1938. OLIVER 2,139,281

METHOD OF ADVERTISING AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN CONNECTION THEREWITH Filed Aug. 18, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTOR BY M W TORNEYS Dec. 6, 1938. J. OLIVER! I 2,139,281 METHOD OF ADVERTISING AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN CbNNECTION THEREWITH Filed Aug. 18, 1938 2 sheets -sheet 2 577 o/2 h g 20 Sky file/5' will: ifveryone INVENTOR JV Patented Dec. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PAT E N T O FFI METHOD OF ADVERTISING AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN CONNECTION THEREWITH 18 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of advertising and apparatus for use in connection therewith, and more specifically to an advertising sign.

In general, it is an object of the invention to provide a device of the character described, which will efficiently perform the purposes for which it is intended, which is simple and economical of construction, which can be expeditiously, conveniently and safely manipulated, and which can be readily manufactured and assembled,

Another object of the invention is to provide a sign made up of stationary lights which gives the impression of action; to provide such sign indicia, including reading material, which are illuminated at suitable times-during the progress of the action; to provide such a sign wherein a veil of one kind or another appears to be withdrawn so as to disclose an object or indicia or a scene underneath; and to provide such a sign which appears to be a part of the sky.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and the relation of one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others, and the apparatus embodying features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which are adapted to eifect such steps, all as exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the followingdetailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a device embodying one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side view, in elevation, of the detail shown in Fig. 2 and taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 4 to 12 are diagrammatic representations of the appearance at different times of the device shown in Fig. 1.

This invention contemplates an electric sign having a multiplicity of lights or bulbs over a given area, some of which may be lighted at one time and some-at another, and some of which are of one color and some of another. Other forms are obtained by having the so-called neon light-tubing in the sign. These latter forms may appear to activate or be activated by the designs made from the bulbs.

In the drawings, l0 denotes a sign board or rette M and they may be of different colors, for

example flame color and white.

A series of forms is provided which extends across at least a portion of the board Ill. They may be spaced from each other or overlapping. They may form, with the cigarette or other object I l, a design. They may increase in size and the largest may be near an end of the cigarette. They may be constructed of tubing containing a gas such as neon. They may be superimposed upon the bulbs l2 or other parts of the sign. Means (not shown) are provided for successively illuminating and, if desired, successively extinguishing the various ones in the series. When this is done with the forms in the shape of stars It, as shown, an observer appears to see the passage of a shooting star.

Electrical means of any usual type may be provided for lighting certain of the colored bulbs l2 at one time and certain others at other times. Thus, at approximately the time the largest star I6 is lighted, there may be caused to appear at the end of the cigarette nearest thereto, for the first time, a band of flame-colored lights. When these are lighted, the white lights in that region may be extinguished and remain extinguished. By

On the sign board successively extinguishing the white bulbs along the cigarette and by successively lighting and extinguishing the flame-colored bulbs along the cigarette, the latter appears to burn away and be consumed.

Lights l8 may extend away from the cigarette and may be formed to indicate smoke. They may comprise a multiplicity of bulbs or may be of neon tubing. Means (not shown) may cause lights I 8 to be illuminated at about the time the flame-colored lights are first turned on as a band at the tip of the cigarette. The various lights 18 may be turned on successively to simulate rising smoke.

Lights l8 may lead to other objects 20 which word Cigarette, as shown in Fig. 8. These lights I8 which are most adjacent are.

may be predetermined ones of lights l2, specially controlled, or they may be other bulbs or tubes among or above tubes I2.

Lighting means may extend from some part of the object or cigarette M to another part of the board [0. The tubing 24, for example, may lead from the end of the cigarette last illuminated in flame color, pass around the periphery of the board In and come to a stop near the lower right-hand corner. There then may be other lights 26 simulating other indicia, for example Americas Cigarette.

Another series of forms 28, which may be similar to stars 5, may extend across another portion of the board. Similar means may be provided for operating them. One star, preferably the largest, is near the lights 26. Means are provided (not shown) for illuminating the lights 26 at about the time or just after that star has been illuminated or tube 24 or successive components thereof have been successively illuminated.

The board may be made of any material and may be given a blue color. It may have cutaway portions with any desired peripheries. These portions may be in the shape of stars 30 and may have sources of light 32 behind them.

Various portions of the sign may be turned on and off in various sequences. Figs. 4-9 show one possible sequence. In Fig. 4, the stars 36 are lighted from behind. The white lights in the cigarette are also lighted. The former may go on and off with a twinkling efiect, together or separately. The bulbs in the cigarette may come on after the sky and may also twinkle. Fig. 5 shows the red appearing at an end of the cigarette. Fig. 6 shows the smoke it! curling up and the word Smoke appearing. In Fig. '7 the cigarette is further consumed and the first letter of the word Cigarette has lighted. In Fig. 8 the entire word Cigarette has appeared and the lights or tube or succession of tubes 24 having lighted smoke has disappeared. Finally, in Fig. 9 the indicia 26, here Americas Cigarette, is lighted.

Fig. 10 shows the comet-like series of stars [6 lighted and the lighted tip of the cigarette M. The stars l6 may be caused to be lighted between the configurations shown in Figs. l and 5.

In Fig. 11, after the word Cigarette 22 has taken the place of the consumed cigarette [4, stars 28 appear. This step may replace or be in addition to the step shown in Fig. 8.

In Fig. 21, the stars, comets, lights 25, etc. have disappeared, leaving the indicia or words 20, 22 and 26 against the background which may be blue and may be lighted by the radiation from the various lights or by indirect illumination. During part or all of the time light sources 32 may be operating.

The usual mechanical and electrical apparatus is used to cause the sequences described above or any other desired.

Since certain changes in carrying out the above process and in the constructions set forth which embody the invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An advertising method comprising presenting an illuminated design, ceasing to present the design, after an interval presenting a changing illuminated design of a burning cigarette as it is consumed, and causing that portion of the design which represents smoke to form successively the letters of a word as the cigarette appears to burn away.

2. An advertising method comprising presenting an illuminated design, ceasing to present the design, after an interval presenting a changing illuminated design of a burning cigarette as it is consumed, causing that portion of the design which represents smoke to form successively the letters of a word as the cigarette appears to burn away, and causing the letters of a word to appear successively in the position of the cigarette as the cigarette appears to burn away.

3. An advertising method comprising presenting an illuminated design, ceasing to present the design, after an interval presenting a changing illuminated design or" a burning cigarette as it is consumed, causing that portion of the design which represents smoke to form successively the letters of a word as the cigarette appears to burn away, and causing the butt of the cigarette, after the remainder of the cigarette appears to have been consumed, to appear to move and to change into a word.

l. An advertising method comprising presenting an illuminated design, ceasing to present the design, after an interval presenting a changing illuminated design of a burning cigarette as it is consumed, causing that portion of the design which represents smoke to form successively the letters of a word as the cigarette appears to burn away, and causing the receding tip of the object to appear red.

5. An advertising method comprising presenting a changing illuminated design of a burning cigarette as it is consumed, and causing that portion of the design which represents smoke to form successively the letters of a word as the cigarette appears to burn away.

6. An advertising method comprising presenting a changing illuminated design of a burning cigarette as it is consumed, causing that portion of the design which represents smoke to form successively the letters of a word as the cigarette appears to burn away, and causing the receding tip of the object to appear red.

'7. An advertising method comprising presenting a changing illuminated design of a burning cigarette as it is consumed, causing that portion of the design which represents smoke to form successively the letters of a word as the cigarette appears to burn away, and causing the letters of a word to appear successively in the position of .the cigarette as the cigarette appears to burn away.

8. An advertising method comprising presenting a changing illuminated design showing a succession of events including the decreasing in size of an object, and causing the letters of a word to appear successively in the space left by r the decreasin object.

9. An advertising method comprising presenting .a changing illuminated design. of a burning object as it is consumed, and causing that portion of the design which represents smoke to form successively the letters of a word as the object appears to burn away.

10. An advertising method comprising successively illuminating successive stars of increasing size, presenting an illuminated design of a cigarette, and causing the end of the cigarette nearest the last-illuminated star to appear to begin to be consumed at approximately the time the last star is illuminated.

11. An advertising method comprising successively illuminating successive stars of increasing size, presenting an illuminated design of a cigarette, causing the end of the cigarette nearest the last-illuminated star to begin to be consumed at approximately the time the last star is illuminated, causing the cigarette to appear to burn away, and causing the letters of a word to appear successively along where the cigarette Was.

12. An advertising method comprising successively illuminating successive stars of increasing size, and presenting an illuminated design of a word near the last-illuminated star at approximately the time of illumination of the last-illuminated star.

13. An advertising sign comprising a bank of lights in the form of an object and of diiTerent colors, means for causing the lights of one color to be successively extinguished and means for causing the lights of another color to be successively illuminated and extinguished in the region where, and just after, the said lights of the said one color have been extinguished.

14. An advertising sign comprisin a bank of lights in the form, of an object and of different colors, means for causing the lights of one color to be successively extinguished, means for causing the lights of another color to be successively illuminated and extinguished in the region where, and just after, the said lights of the said one color has been extinguished, lights within the periphery of said bank and forming the letters of a word, and means for causing the last-mentioned lights to be illuminated successively in the regions where the lights of said other color have been extinguished.

15. An advertising sign comprising a bank of lights in the form of a cigarette and of white and red, means for causing the white lights to be successively extinguished beginning at one end of said cigarette, and means for causing said red lights to be lighted and extinguished in the regions where, and just after, said white lights have been extinguished.

16. An advertising sign comprising lighting means for forming successively a series of illumie nated stars, separate stars being successively larger, lights forming the design of an object, one portion of said object being in the vicinity of the last formed of said stars, and means for activating the second-mentioned lighting means at about the time of the illumination of said last of said stars.

17. An advertising sign comprising lighting means for forming successively a series of illuminated stars, separate stars being successively larger, lights forming the design of a cigarette, one portion of said cigarette being in the vicinity of the last formed of said stars, and means for activating the second-mentioned lighting means at about the time of the illumination of said last of said stars.

18. An advertising sign comprising a bank of lights in the form of an object and of diiferent colors, means for causing the lights of one color to be successively extinguished, means for causing the lights of another color to be successively illuminated and extinguished in the region where, and just after, the said lights of the said one color have been extinguished, lighting means forming the design of smoke from said object, lighting means forming indicia, and means successively illuminating said indicia as said lights of said one color are successively extinguished.

JOHN OLIVERI. 

